It’s been a quiet and welcome holiday at the Press, ending a busy news year as we prepare for what’s to come in 2026.
In the next 12 months the town will face a number of immediate and long-term challenges. State leaders, for example, have repeatedly cited a lack of affordable housing as a threat to the region’s economy and vowed to use their executive and legislative powers to increase supply. The requests by MassDevelopment for proposals to develop housing on nearly 70 acres of land at Devens, detailed elsewhere in this issue, is clear evidence that day has arrived. And with land now also set aside in Harvard for multifamily housing and with the push by the town’s municipal affordable housing trust for more units, there is a potential for growth in housing and population with consequences—all good, we hope—for our schools and town life.
The town’s lack of a commercial base and its reliance on residential taxes to pay for the municipal services residents expect forced Harvard voters to pass a $1.3 million tax override last year and, two years ago, to increase the Community Preservation Act tax surcharge to 3% to provide money for historical preservation, open space and recreation—and affordable housing. Early indications are that voters will be asked once again in fiscal 2027 to pay more in property taxes to maintain town services at their current levels; the need for an override is yet to be determined.
The Press is devoted to reporting on all of these issues, but we welcome suggestions. What do you think the paper’s priorities should be in 2026? What have we overlooked? What can we do better? Send your suggestions to editor@harvardpress.net or come visit the editor at the General Store Monday, Jan. 19, Martin Luther King Day, to share your thoughts. Watch for an announcement in next week’s paper.
Despite its many challenges, we at the Press welcome the coming year as we bid goodbye to 2025. May your new year be healthy and filled with unexpected pleasures. We’ll do our best to chronicle whatever the year has in store.